(Mizzima/IFEX) - Burma's military junta has banned an increasing number of websites since 8 January 2007, which is causing more difficulties for Burmese citizens trying to access free email and messenger services.
Since 8 January, the junta banned proxy sites such as http://www.polysolve.com , http://www.glite.sayni.net , http://www.3proxy.com , and http://www.unipeak.com , among others, which, over the course of 2006, have been the principal means by which Internet users have accessed banned websites, including email service providers, political opposition sites and human rights webpages.
For example, if a Burmese internet user attempts to access the website http://www.gmail.com on a computer with a BaganNet Internet connection, the message "Access Denied" will appear. Computers with an MPT connection will receive the message: "STOP Access is denied".
A staff member from a local cyber café confirmed that "most free sites were banned three days ago" (since 8 January). She also said that qqchat, vzochat and gmail services had not been accessible through her cyber café since then.
However, Internet experts suggest there are still ways and means to get around the restrictions, and that the regime will lose out in this "cat-and-mouse game".
Aung Kyaw Myo, the New Delhi-based manager of Burma Information Technology, said there are many proxy sites, as well as programmes such as "Freedom" and "Psiphon", which could be useful to Burmese Internet users.
